Popular and easy to grow, pansies can really cheer up a garden.
Viola x wittrockiana can bloom through much of the year if you choose the right varieties and sow them at the right times, though pansies are especially useful for autumn and winter flowering.
Here are the basic things you need to know if you would like to grow pansies from seed:
When To Sow Pansies
When you will sow pansy seeds depends on when you want them to bloom.
Pansies sown indoors between February and April will bloom through the late spring and summer months.
Those sown between May and July will flower over the autumn and winter.
Considerations Before Sowing
Before sowing pansy seeds you will, of course, have to think about preparing an area to do so.
It is easiest to start pansies indoors as the seeds germinate best at temperatures between 18-24°C.
You may find that you have better germination rates with a heated propagator, but this is in no way essential and I’ve always found a covered tray on a windowsill or in a greenhouse will work just fine as long as they’re kept out of the direct sun.
Prepare a seed tray, soil blocks or small pots to sow your pansy seeds and fill the chosen container with good quality, peat-free, seed-starting compost that is moist and not waterlogged.
How To Sow Pansy Seeds
Press the pansy seeds into the surface of the growing medium, then cover them with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite and water them in well.
Make sure that, as soon as the seeds germinate, your seedlings get plenty of light and are placed in a bright spot out of direct sunlight.
Keep them watered, taking care not to overwater, before planting them out in the garden once they reach a sufficient size and are established.
And it really is as simple as that – Pansies are so incredibly straight-forward to grow from seed – just choose when you’d like them to flower and sow by month accordingly.
